Alfven Resonance Research Articles

SELF-CONSISTENT MODEL OF THE INTERSTELLAR PICKUP PROTONS, ALFVÉNIC TURBULENCE, AND CORE SOLAR WIND IN THE OUTER HELIOSPHERE

A self-consistent model of the interstellar pickup protons, the slab component of the Alfvenic turbulence, and core solar wind (SW) protons is presented for r ≥ 1 along with the initial results of and comparison with the Voyager 2 (V2) observations. Two kinetic equations are used for the pickup proton distribution and Alfvenic power spectral density, and a third equation governs SW temperature including source due to the Alfven wave energy dissipation. A fraction of the pickup proton free energy, fD , which is actually released in the waveform during isotropization, is taken from the quasi-linear consideration without preexisting turbulence, whereas we use observations to specify the strength of the large-scale driving, C sh, for turbulence. The main conclusions of our study can be summarized as follows. (1) For C sh 1-1.5 and fD 0.7-1, the model slab component agrees well with the V2 observations of the total transverse magnetic fluctuations starting from ~8 AU. This indicates that the slab component at low-latitudes makes up a majority of the transverse magnetic fluctuations beyond 8-10 AU. (2) The model core SW temperature agrees well with the V2 observations for r 20 AU if fD 0.7-1. (3) A combined effect of the Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin attenuation, large-scale driving, and pickup proton generated waves results in the energy sink in the region r 10 AU, while wave energy is pumped in the turbulence beyond 10 AU. Without energy pumping, the nonlinear energy cascade is suppressed for r 10 AU, supplying only a small energy fraction into the k-region of dissipation by the core SW protons. A similar situation takes place for the two-dimensional turbulence. (4) The energy source due to the resonant Alfven wave damping by the core SW protons is small at heliocentric distances r 10 AU for both the slab and the two-dimensional turbulent components. As a result, adiabatic cooling mostly controls the model SW temperature in this region, and the model temperature disagrees with the V2 observations in the region r 20 AU.

Определение критической частоты F-слоя по данным наблюдений ионосферного альфвеновского резонанса

 The parameters of the ionospheric Alfven (IAR) and Schumann (SR) resonances are determined by the intensity of their source (global thunderstorm activity) and properties of the propagation medium (the ionosphere and magnetosphere of the Earth). Our observations and results of other authors show that the SR depends primarily on the global parameters of the source and propagation medium. Otherwise the IAR features are mainly determined by local characteristics of the near-earth plasma. The latter circumstance was the basis for the authors to analyze the possibility of diagnostics of the local ionosphere using the IAR data. ELF recordings, obtained at the Ukrainian Antarctic Station (UAS) and low-frequency observatory IRA NAS Ukraine (LFO) were used for the analysis. The presence of long-term data sets obtained at the points with a spatial spacing of about 15 thousand kilometers, allowed us to study the basic seasonal and diurnal behavior of the eigenfrequencies and “observability”of IAR, as well as to investigate the dependence of these parameters from the site position. IAR characteristics were compared with synchronous data of the ionospheric sounding and the total electron content (TEC) over the observation points. A joint analysis of data showed that plasma parameters at the height of the ionosphere F-region have a major impact on the variation of eigenfrequencies of IAR. The article describes a phenomenological model and proposes the technique of estimation of the magnitude of the critical frequency of F layer - F2f0 based on the calculation of frequency interval between the IAR peaks -Δf. The reliability of this technique is confirmed comparing the reconstructed values F2f0 with the vertical sounding data obtained at UAS.

Simulation of Modes of Ionosphere Alfven Resonator with High Quality Factors in the Case of Oblique Geomagnetic Field

The properties of the ionosphere Alfven resonator (IAR) in the general case of an oblique geomagnetic field are investigated. The modes at the frequencies f = 0.2 - 10 Hz well localized within the ionosphere are considered, which are important for the lithosphere—ionosphere coupling. An attention is paid to the modes with quite high quality factors , where . A proper selection of calculated eigenfrequencies has been realized. Two independent simulation algorithms have been proposed. The resonant frequencies and the profiles of magnetic field components of the modes have been calculated. The modulation of electron and ion concentrations at the heights 170 - 230 km leads to essential shifting the resonant frequencies.

Resonant Alfvén waves in partially ionized plasmas of the solar atmosphere

Context. Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves are ubiquitous in the solar atmosphere. In magnetic waveguides resonant absorption due to plasma inhomogeneity naturally transfers wave energy from large-scale motions to small-scale motions. In the cooler parts of the solar atmosphere as, e.g., the chromosphere, effects due to partial ionization may be relevant for wave dynamics and heating. Aims. We study resonant Alfven waves in partially ionized plasmas. Methods. We use the multifluid equations in the cold plasma approximation. We investigate propagating resonant MHD waves in partially ionized flux tubes. We use approximate analytical theory based on normal modes in the thin tube and thin boundary approximations along with numerical eigenvalue computations. Results. We find that the jumps of the wave perturbations across the resonant layer are the same as in fully ionized plasmas. The damping length due to resonant absorption is inversely proportional to the frequency, while that due to ion-neutral collisions is inversely proportional to the square of the frequency. For observed frequencies in the solar atmosphere, the amplitude of MHD kink waves is more efficiently damped by resonant absorption than by ion-neutral collisions. Conclusions. Most of the energy carried by chromospheric kink waves is converted into localized azimuthal Alfven waves that can deposit energy in the coronal medium. The dissipation of wave energy in the chromosphere due to ion-neutral collisions is only effective for high-frequency waves. The chromosphere acts as a filter for kink waves with periods shorter than 10 s.

Impulsive Coupling Between the Atmosphere and Ionosphere/Magnetosphere

This review covers various aspects of the impulsive coupling in the ULF frequency range between atmospheric discharge processes and upper ionosphere. Characteristic feature of the upper ionosphere is the occurrence of the ionospheric Alfven resonator (IAR) and MHD waveguide, which can trap the electromagnetic wave energy in the range from fractions of Hz to few Hz. Induction magnetometer observations at mid-latitude stations are considered as an example of a transient ULF response to the regional and global lightning activity. For many events, besides the main impulse produced by a lightning discharge, a secondary impulse delayed about 1 sec was observed. These secondary echo-impulses are probably caused by the partial reflection of wave energy of the initial lightning pulse from the upper IAR boundary in the topside ionosphere. The multi-band spectral resonant structure (SRS) can be formed owing to the occurrence of paired pulses in analyzed time series. The statistical superposed epoch method indeed has revealed a dominance of two-pulse structure in the magnetic field background during the periods of the SRS occurrence. The numerical modeling shows that during the lightning discharge a coupled wave system comprising IAR and MHD waveguide is excited. In the lightning proximity (about few hundred km) the amplitudes of radial component is 1–2 orders less than those of the azimuthal component, and only the lowest IAR harmonics are revealed in the radial magnetic component. At distances ∼103 km the spectral power densities of both components are comparable, and the SRS is more pronounced. The problems and further prospects of the study of the impulsive magnetosphere–ionosphere–atmosphere coupling via transient processes during thunderstorms are discussed.

Coupling at the Atmosphere-Ionosphere-Magnetosphere Interface and Resonant Phenomena in the ULF Range

We discuss the electromagnetic processes in the ULF range which are important for the coupling between the atmosphere, ionosphere, and magnetosphere (AIM). The main attention is given to the Pc1–2 frequency ranges (f≈0.1–10 Hz) where some natural resonances in the AIM system are located. In particular, we consider the resonant structures in the spectra of the magnetic background noise related to the Alfven resonances in the ionosphere as a possible diagnostic tool for studies of the ionospheric parameters. We also discuss the self-excitation of Alfven waves in the ionosphere due to the AIM coupling and the role of such waves in the acceleration of electrons in the upper ionosphere and magnetosphere. Precipitation of magnetospheric ions due to their interaction with the ion-cyclotron waves is analyzed in relation to the ionospheric current systems, formation of partial ring current, and the influence of the ionosphere-magnetosphere feedback on the generation of such waves.

Reversal of the hall current and amplification of the magnetorotational instability in a weakly ionized plasma

A criterion for the development of a magnetorotational instability in a weakly ionized dusty plasma is considered. A dispersion relation for the wavenumber and the growth rate of an unstable perturbation is derived for an arbitrary angle between the wave vector and magnetic field. It is shown that the presence of dust grains can reverse the direction of the Hall current in the plasma and can shift the instability threshold to shorter wavelengths. Under certain conditions, Alfven fluctuations of arbitrary scale can be unstable. The Hall current reversal is found to have a strong effect on the development of a magnetorotational instability when the Alfven resonance frequency in a weakly ionized plasma is close to the rotation frequency of the accretion disk.

ULF wave absorption at Mercury

[1] The field line resonance at Mercury is expected to occur when the ion-ion hybrid (IIH) and/or Alfven resonance conditions are satisfied. However, the relative efficiency of wave energy absorption at these resonances has not been studied in the context of Mercury's magnetosphere. To understand the efficiency of wave absorption, we evaluate absorption coefficients at the IIH and Alfven resonances for variable concentrations of sodium and azimuthal and field-aligned wave numbers in 1D multi-ion plasmas. The results show that wave absorption is much more efficient at the IIH resonance than at the Alfven resonance at Mercury. Our results suggest that the mode conversion efficiency is sensitive to the azimuthal and field aligned wave numbers as well as heavy ion concentration ratio. Therefore, the radial profile of field-line resonances at Mercury can exhibit complex, discontinuous structure.

Resonant excitation of the magnetosphere by stochastic and unsteady hydromagnetic waves

The effect of the magnetospheric MHD cavity on the excitation of the magnetosphere by stochastic and unsteady hydromagnetic waves incident from the solar wind is investigated theoretically by using a one-dimensional nonuniform model of the medium. It is shown that most of the energy of stochastic waves is reflected from the magnetopause and that the only waves that penetrate into the magnetosphere are those with frequencies in narrow spectral ranges near the eigenfrequencies of the cavity. These waves lead to steadystate excitation of the eigenmodes of the cavity, the energy of which is determined by the spectral density of the energy flux of the incident waves at the corresponding eigenfrequencies. The energy of the eigenmodes penetrates through the opacity barrier in the vicinity of the Alfven resonance points (each corresponding to a particular mode), where the perturbation amplitude is sharply amplified, so the total energy localized close to the Alfven resonance point is much higher than the total energy of the corresponding eigenmode. In the vicinities, the perturbation energy is dissipated by the finite conductivity of the ionosphere, the dissipation power being equal to the energy flux of the incident waves that penetrates into the magnetosphere. The case of unsteady waves is analyzed by considering a wave pulse as an example. It is shown that most of the energy of the wave pulse is reflected from the magnetopause. The portion of the incident perturbation that penetrates into the magnetosphere leads to unsteady excitation of the eigenmodes of the magnetospheric cavity, which are then slowly damped because part of the energy of the cavity is emitted through the magnetopause back to the solar wind while the other part penetrates into the vicinities of the Alfven resonance points. In the vicinities, the perturbation is an Alfven wave standing between magnetically conjugate ionospheres and its energy is dissipated by the finite conductivity of the ionosphere at a rate slower than the damping rate of the eigenmodes of the cavity.

Dependence of the resonant electromagnetic background frequencies in the frequency range of the alfven ionospheric resonator on the level of the solar activity

In the work, variations of the resonant electromagnetic background frequencies in the frequency range of the ionospheric Alfven resonator are investigated. An algorithm of automatic determination of the resonant characteristics of registered signals is presented. It is established that the variations of the resonant frequencies are determined on 75% by their seasonal changes; the relative contribution of the 11-year period caused by the solar activity does not exceed 15%.

ULF impulsive magnetic response at mid-latitudes to lightning activity

Induction magnetometer data from the mid-latitude station Moshiri (geomagnetic latitude 35.6°) has been examined in search of a transient ULF response to the regional lightning activity. For many events, besides the main impulse produced by the lightning discharge, a secondary impulse delayed about 1 sec was observed. These secondary echo-impulses are probably caused by the partial reflection of wave energy of the initial lightning pulse from the upper boundary of the ionospheric Alfven resonator in the topside ionosphere. The modeling with artificial signals has shown that a multi-band spectral resonant structure (SRS) can be formed owing to the occurrence of paired pulses in analyzed time series. The statistical superposed epoch method indeed has revealed a dominance of two-pulse structure in the magnetic field background during the periods of the SRS occurrence.

MHD Waves and Instabilities in Space Plasma Flows

Shear flow instabilities are an important aspect of hydrodynamic studies. The present review article discusses the role of an ambient magnetic field which both modifies the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability and may introduce new types of magnetohydrodynamic waves and instabilities. A brief overview of magnetospheric pulsations is presented with an emphasis on the long-period resonant Alfven waves associated with the high speed solar wind. The spatio-temporal evolution of magnetically modified shear flow instabilities in various space plasma structures is addressed. A distinction between convective and absolute instabilities is necessary for proper understanding of theory and correct interpretation of the observations. Finally, it is shown how incompressible Alfvenic disturbances may become unstable in a compressible flow in the absence of any shear. An application to coronal loops is presented.

Development of parallel electric fields at the plasma sheet boundary layer

[1] Many measurements of auroral particles, in particular recent measurements from the FAST satellite, indicate that the auroral electron distribution is often broad in energy and field-aligned in pitch angle. Such electrons are seen in conjunction with strong kinetic Alfven waves with small perpendicular wavelength, and so the aurora produced by these electrons has been termed the “Alfvenic aurora.” The Alfvenic aurora is predominant at the polar cap boundary of the aurora as well as in the auroral arc that brightens during substorm onset. The process of forming parallel electric fields in Alfven waves has been investigated by means of three-dimensional two-fluid simulations. Waves with small perpendicular wavelengths can be produced by phase mixing when perpendicular gradients are present in the plasma. At lower altitudes, Alfven waves can interact with the ionospheric Alfven resonator and phase mix to scales of a few kilometers. At higher altitudes, the electron thermal speed becomes comparable or larger than the Alfven speed, and parallel electric fields due to the Landau resonance can develop. This has been modeled in the fluid code by an approximation to the plasma dispersion function used in kinetic theory. Phase mixing is most effective when there are strong gradients, such as at the plasma sheet boundary layer. Simulations indicate that these processes can produce parallel electric fields on scales of a few kilometers (in the cold plasma case) to a few tens of kilometers (in the warm plasma case), comparable to the scale sizes of auroral arcs.

The Present State of Investigations on Stellarators in Kharkov

At present, two stellarator type fusion devices, Uragan-2 M and Uragan-3 M, are in operation in Kharkov. At the Uragan-3 M machine, investigations of the low-density low-collisional plasma are continued. L-H-mode-like transition is studied with particular attention to the mechanisms of its formation and impact on divertor flow behaviour. For a higher density plasma, a scenario of the RF Alfven resonance heating in high k|| regime is realized both with continuous and pulsed gas injection. On Uragan-2 M the studies of RF wall conditioning are in progress. A new wall conditioning scheme which uses the high frequency slow wave is implemented.

Six auroral generators: A review

[1] The paper reviews generator processes and configurations of six types of auroral arcs: embedded arcs, Alfvenic arcs, onset arcs, poleward arcs during substorms, auroral streamers, and auroral spirals. The arcs and generators are elements in global current systems, which are classified as Types I and II after Bostrom. The arcs may be dominated by transient processes or be quasi-stationary. The main emphasis of the paper is on the generator forces. They are pressure gradient forces, magnetic normal or shear stresses, or inertial forces. For three cases, the arcs embedded in the oval convection, the poleward arc during substorms, and the auroral streamers, simple expressions are presented of the currents injected into the ionosphere by the generator process, allowing quantitative evaluations. The relations leading from these currents to other key auroral quantities are summarized. The apparent conflict between the widths of Alfvenic arcs and the transverse scales required for energy coupling to the topside ionospheric plasma is solved by assuming current and field filamentation by multiple reflections in the ionospheric Alfven resonator. The substorm generator is described as a high-beta plasma layer arising from collapse of the tail current sheet. An essential element in this process is the shedding of excess flux tube entropy through energy dumping in the auroral acceleration process and ionospheric dissipation. The dynamics of this process needs further investigation. The physics of the connection between flow bursts in the tail plasma sheet and the flows associated with auroral streamers in the ionosphere is discussed. Regular auroral spirals and the westward traveling surge have in common a concentration of upward field-aligned current which demands strongly enhanced dissipation. They differ by the processes creating the upward current concentration.

Resonance excitation of the magnetosphere by hydromagnetic waves incident from solar wind

The eigenfrequencies and eigenmodes of an MHD cavity in the front part of the magnetosphere and its excitation by monochromatic hydromagnetic waves incident onto the magnetosphere from solar wind are studied theoretically in the model of a plane-stratified plasma. The eigenmodes are damped due to both their absorption at the Alfven resonance points and their emission into solar wind through the magnetopause, which is partially transparent for the excited waves. It is shown that, due to the influence of the magnetospheric cavity, the pumping of the magnetosphere by the incident waves is resonance in character. The waves penetrate into the magnetosphere only if their frequencies lie in narrow spectral ranges near the eigenfrequencies of the cavity, the width of these ranges being on the order of the damping rate of the eigenmodes. Waves with other frequencies are almost completely reflected from the magnetopause.

STREAMING-LIMITED INTENSITIES OF SOLAR ENERGETIC PARTICLES ON THE INTENSITY PLATEAU

We examine the energy spectra of H, He, O, and Fe ions on the temporal intensity plateau region in large solar energetic-particle (SEP) events, where intensities may be ''streaming limited.'' Upstream of shock waves near the Sun, equilibrium may occur when outwardly streaming protons amplify resonant Alfven waves that then scatter subsequent protons sufficiently to reduce the streaming. In the largest SEP events, the so-called ground-level events (GLEs), we find proton energy spectra that are peaked near {approx}10 MeV with the energy of similar peaks decreasing for heavier ions and for smaller events. These spectra contrast sharply with spectra near the time of shock passage which rise monotonically above the plateau spectra with decreasing energy. We suggest that strong suppression of upstream ion intensities near {approx}1 MeV amu{sup -1} on the plateau occurs when those ions resonate with waves amplified earlier by streaming protons of {approx}10 MeV and above. GLEs with much lower intensities of 10-100 MeV protons on the plateau show spectra of ions that rise monotonically toward low energies with no peaking and no suppression of low-energy ions. Wave amplification by streaming protons and the pitch-angle dependence of the resonance condition are essential factors in our understanding ofmore » the limiting behavior.« less

Corotational instability, magnetic resonances and global inertial-acoustic oscillations in magnetized black hole accretion discs

Low-order, non-axisymmetric p-modes (also referred as inertial-acoustic modes) trapped in the inner-most region of hydrodynamic accretion discs around black holes, are plausible candidates for high-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) observed in a number of accreting black-hole systems. These modes are subject to global instabilities due to wave absorption at the corotation resonance (where the wave pattern frequency $\omega/m$ equals the disc rotation rate $\Omega$), when the fluid vortensity, $\zeta=\kappa^2/(2\Omega\Sigma)$ (where $\kappa$ and $\Sigma$ are the radial epicyclic frequency and disc surface density, respectively), has a positive gradient. We investigate the effects of disc magnetic fields on the wave absorption at corotation and the related wave super-reflection of the corotation barrier, and on the overstability of disc p-modes. For discs with a pure toroidal field, the corotation resonance is split into two magnetic resonances, where the wave frequency in the corotating frame of the fluid, $\tomega=\omega-m\Omega$, matches the slow magnetosonic wave frequency. Significant wave energy/angular momentum absorption occurs at both magnetic resonances, but with opposite signs. The combined effect of the two magnetic resonances is to reduce the super-reflection and the growth rate of the overstable p-modes. We show that even a subthermal toroidal field may suppress the overstability of hydrodynamic (B=0) p-modes. For accretion discs with mixed (toroidal and vertical) magnetic fields, two additional Alfven resonances appear, where $\tomega$ matches the local Alfven wave frequency. They further reduce the growth rate of p-modes. Our results suggest that in order for the non-axisymmetric p-modes to be a viable candidate for the observed high-frequency QPOs, the disc magnetic field must be appreciably subthermal, or other mode excitation mechanisms are at work.

Investigation of the peculiarities of artificial electromagnetic signal propagation at high latitudes in the range 0.1–10 Hz

The results of measurements of the artificial electromagnetic signal in the range 0.1–10 Hz on the Spitsbergen archipelago are presented in this paper. The signal was emitted by a horizontal antenna located on the Kola Peninsula. Resonance spectra structures (RSSs) caused by the influence of the ionospheric Alfven resonator (IAR) were found in the artificial signal. The calculations of the field performed using the method of a two-dimensional telegraph equation for an anisotropic inhomogeneous model of the ionosphere allowed us to explain the main properties of the observed artificial RSS signal. Special attention was focused on the choice of the ionospheric model and calculation of the reflection coefficient for a plane wave normally incident on the ionosphere. The needed profiles of the ionospheric parameters were selected on the basis of the Upper Atmosphere Model (UAM) and IRI2007 model, while the atmospheric parameters were specified on the basis of MSIS-E-90. The advantages of the UAM model compared with the IRI for the description of the experimental results in a high-latitude region are shown in the paper.

Transformation and absorption of magnetosonic waves generated by solar wind in the magnetosphere

Resonant transformation of fast magnetosonic (FMS) wave flux into Alfven and slow magnetosonic (SMS) oscillations is investigated in the one-dimensionally inhomogeneous magnetosphere. Spatial distribution of energy absorption rate of FMS oscillations penetrating into the magnetosphere from the solar wind is studied. The FMS wave energy absorption rate caused by magnetosonic resonance excitation is shown to be several orders of magnitude greater than that caused by Alfven resonance excitation at the same surface. It is connected with the spectrum of incident FMS waves. The Kolmogorov spectrum is used in numerical calculations. Magnitude of the Fourier harmonics exciting resonant Alfven oscillations is much smaller than that of the harmonics driving lower-frequency magnetosonic resonance. It is shown that resonant transformation of FMS waves into SMS oscillations can be an effective mechanism of energy transfer from the solar wind to the magnetosphere.